Shaibu Urges Private Sector To Lead Nigeria’s Basketball Development

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, has called for stronger private-sector investment in basketball development, saying sustained progress in the sport cannot depend solely on government funding.

Shaibu made the call on Monday in Abuja when basketball promoter and Mark D’ Ball Championship initiator, Igoche Mark, visited the NIS to assess 20 basketball coaches undergoing training under his sponsorship.

The NIS boss commended Mark for investing in coach education and urged other private-sector stakeholders to support the professional development of personnel across Nigeria’s sporting ecosystem.

“Thank you for what you have done for basketball, and I plead with you: do not give up on basketball,” Shaibu said, stressing the importance of maintaining long-term commitment to the sport.

He described the NIS as a critical institution for building the human capacity required to drive sports development, noting that coaches and other practitioners must acquire the appropriate knowledge and qualifications to operate effectively.

“For us at the NIS, we understand that this institute is the engine room of sports. It is responsible for the empowerment of the sporting ecosystem,” he said.

Shaibu also disclosed that the institute was expanding its reach beyond its traditional Abuja base through six zonal centres, covering Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

According to him, the Lagos and Abuja centres will offer degree-awarding programmes, while the zonal centres will run Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses. State centres will also provide basic certificate programmes.

The institute has further introduced weekend programmes and plans to commence executive online classes next year, developments Shaibu said would make professional sports education more accessible.

Mark, who was at the NIS to monitor the sponsored coaches, said his investment was aimed at addressing the shortage of properly trained and certified basketball coaches in Nigeria.

He explained that many of the 20 trainees were former players transitioning into coaching and required recognised qualifications to work at international level.

“Without proper certification, they cannot function on the international scene because you cannot sit on the bench without it,” Mark said.

He said the initiative was also designed to strengthen collaboration between the Mark D’ Ball Championship and the NIS, while creating a pool of qualified coaches who could contribute to basketball development at grassroots and elite levels.

Mark disclosed that the Mark D’ Ball Championship was planning to establish an academy and would consider engaging some of the NIS-trained coaches as part of its development structure.

He also expressed interest in further collaboration with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), particularly in strengthening coaching standards and creating clearer pathways for Nigerian coaches to gain international exposure.

The development comes amid growing calls for greater investment in coaching, grassroots structures and technical education as Nigeria seeks to build a sustainable basketball system rather than relying primarily on individual talent.

Mark also urged the trainees to take full advantage of the opportunity, promising to continue supporting their professional development through additional training initiatives.